Over the past week the UW Oshkosh women’s basketball team had a lot to be thankful for. The team went 2-0 in their matchups against Alma College and Lawrence University by blowout scores of 85-42 and 88-45.

In the game at Alma College (Mich.) on Nov. 25, the Titans clawed their way back to a 3-3 record thanks to a defensive effort that held Alma to just a 31.4% field goal percentage.

Due to the increased amount of games under their belt, the team is showing great improvement in on-court communication.

“We’re getting better. I think we’re starting to figure out some rotations and the groups that mesh well together,” said Brad Fischer, head coach of the basketball team. “We have played enough games now that we see what we have to work on.”

Junior Leah Porath put together yet another remarkable game with a stat line of 29 points, eight rebounds and two assists. This game ended a three-game skid that had the Titans under .500 in the standings for the first time all season.

Team chemistry was essential in the Titan’s last two victories, as more and more roles are being assumed by newcomers who are still playing their fourth and fifth career games. The surplus of road games has contributed to the team being on the same page more times than not as of late.

“In terms of team chemistry, we’re getting there,” Fischer said. “I think with so many new roles and people having to assume some responsibilities they haven’t had before. I feel like we’re starting to connect a bit better as a team, our road trips have helped with that a lot.”

Oshkosh then went home to face Lawrence University on Dec. 1 where they started what is now a two-game winning streak while simultaneously regaining a winning record on the season at 4-3. The Titans rattled Lawrence in a 88-45 blowout where depth paid off in a big way.

Sophomore Abby Kaiser came off the bench with an impressive performance that contained 14 points and two rebounds.
Oshkosh also won the turnover battle 15-11 in the dominating performance that brought the Titans to 4-3 on the season.

“That’s probably a team that we should be able to beat. That is a matchup for us where we should be able to force some turnovers defensively,” Fischer said. “I was happy with the way we came out of the locker room after an uneven first half.”

Defense played a key role in this game once again as Oshkosh held Lawrence to a minuscule 26.8% from the field and 27.3% from behind the arc.

This game was the fourth of the season where the Titans held their opponents to less than 50 points.
This momentum builder was much needed going into the team’s 16-day break until their Dec. 17 matchup at St. Norbert College.

“I thought the last week we’ve done a really good job of starting to be really connected as a group. That needs to be a big focus as we head into conference play,” Fischer said.